Knock-down counter construction



Jan. 23, 1968 J. G. DOWNING KNOCK-DOWN COUNTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 17, 1966 m T. m .V m

lo/m 6.00mi?? BY ATTK United States Patent C) 3.365.258 KNOCK-DQWN CQUNTER CONSTRUCTION John G. Downing, Downing Displays, 300 Gennessee St., (Zincinnati, Ohio 45202 Filed Aug. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 573,013 3 laims. (Cl. 312-1402) ABSTRACT (BF THE DISCLOSURE A portable counter base of the foldable, knock-down type having opposed upstanding tubular rear portions which cooperate with an assembled shelf structure to secure a rigid, sturdy construction in a counter-base set up, expanded condition.

The present invention relates to improvements in knockdown counter constructions and is particularly directed to a collapsible counter base that may be readily set up or knocked down for transportation and/ or storage.

An object of the invention is generally to provide a knock-down counter construction which when assembled will have sufficient inherent rigidity to maintain its form in normal usage, yet be capable of disassembly and folding into a compact form for storage or shipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a counter construction that has a novel base member susceptible of being manufactured from flat, foldable material and cooperating in set-up condition with certain counter supporting members to rigidify the structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown structure of the class described that is sturdy and light in weight and when assembled is adaptable for use as a commercial ticket counter, an information booth or a merchandise display stand, or the like.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear, perspective view of my counter construction in an intermediate stage of assembly.

FIG. 2 is a fragmental, enlarged section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmental, perspective view of a detail of my counter construction.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented section depicting another detail of my counter construction.

The knock-down counter construction comprises a collapsible base having two identical sections 11 and 12 each constructed from a blank of strong and foldable material. The section 11 has a front panel 13 and a tubular rear portion 1 said rear portion being formed by an outer side panel 15 and a parallel inner side panel 16 that are joined together along their rear, upstanding edge portions by an end wall 17. The forward end of the inner side panel 16 has a flap 18 hinged thereon which is connected, as by adhesive, to the inner face of the front panel 13. Similarly the base section 12 has a front panel 1? and a tubular rear portion 20, the rear portion 2'3 having an outer side panel 21 and a parallel inner side panel 22 that are connected together along their upstanding rear edge portions by an end panel 23, a fiap 24 being formed on the forward end of the inner side panel 22 and adhesively connected to the inner face of the front panel 19. The contiguous edge portions of the two front panels 13 and 19 are hinged together by forming a flap 25 and 26, respectively, on each panel and connecting the flaps together with adhesive, or the like.

With reference to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the base may be folded into a fiat, compact condition by swinging the sections 11 and 12 around their hinged flaps 25 and 26 until the front surfaces of the panels 13 and 19 ice are in face-to-face contact and then by further compressing the tubular portions 14 and 20, the said portions are collapsed and the outer faces of the outer panels 15 and 21 are also brought into contact with each other, thus forming a relatively flat,v collapsed base for transportation or storage in a suitable paper board container, or the like.

The means for rigidifying the base in its expanded, setup condition comprises one or more shelf units 27 extending across the inside of the base between the inner panels 16 and 22 of the tubular base sections 14 and 20, respectively. The inner panels 16 and 22 are provided with opposed holes 28 and 29, respectively, which are for-med therethrough at positions adjacent the end walls 17 and 23, respectively; said holes being substantially square in configuration. Slots 30 and 31 are formed through the forward portions of the inner panel 16 and 22, respectively, adjacent the hinge flaps 18 and 24, respectively, said slots and holes being disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane when the base is in setup condition.

The shelf unit 27 comprises a board 32 having forwardly converging edges 33 and 34, a lateral rear edge 35 and non-parallel front edges 36 and 37 that meet at a central portion 38. A rod 39 having a square configuratron in lateral section is positioned beneath and is afiixed to the rear edge portion of the board 32 and has ends 4% and 41 extending laterally beyond the side edges 33 and 34, respectively, of the board. The forward side portion of the board has opposed, triangularly shaped ears 42 and 43 projecting laterally therefrom while the flaps 25 and 26 on the front panels 13 and 19, respectively, have aligned notches 44 formed therein, which are on a level with the slots and holes in the inner panels 16 and 22 and which engage the central portion 38 of the board 27. As best shown in FIG. 3 the ends and 41 on the rod have downwardly facing notches 45 formed therein. When it is desirable to set-up and rigidify the base sectron 14 the shelf 27 is inserted edgewise between the tubular side sections 14 and 2t) and the front central portion 38 of the board 27 slipped into the notch 44 whilst the cars 42 and 43 are fitted into the slots 34 and 31, respectively, the final movement being to insert the extended ends 40 and 41 on rod 39 into the holes 28 and 29, respectively, in the side panels 16 and 22 until the notches 45 engage the bottom edges of the holes 28 and 29 which locks the shelf in position and also positions the tubular sections 14 and 2d against lateral movement.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in its set-up, assembled condition the upstanding, tubular side portions 14 and 20 of the base lend stability and strength to the counter because they act as non-flexible posts firmly positioned upon the floor; the front panels 13 and 19 of the base serving to maintain the tubular portions in opened condition. The notched rod 39 of the shelf unit provides a fixed relationship between the tubular portions 14 and 20 while the ear and slot and notch and central portion connections between the shelf board and the sections reduce the tendency of the sections to twist around their front panel connections.

A counter top 46 is next positioned upon the base, said top having a lateral strip 47 and a pair of side blocks 48 and 49 fixed to its underside which permit the top to rest upon the base and positions it against edgewise movement thereon; the strip 47 engaging the outside upper edge portions of the end panels 17 and 23, while the side blocks 48 and 49 engage the inside upper faces of the inner panels 16 and 22.

When it becomes necessary to move the assembled counter from one position to another it is only necessary to grap the central rear edge 35 of the shelf 27 in one hand and reach over the counter top 46 with the other hand and engage the finger of that hand in a lifting loop 50 fastened between the hinge flaps 25 and 26 of the panels 13 and 19, respectively, just beneath the front central edge of the counter top. As illustrated in FIG. 4 the loop 50 may be made from a single length of flexible strap material folded on itself and having its ends located between the flaps 25 and 26; a staple 51 being passed through the strap ends and the flaps to secure the loop to the counter base.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable, collapsible counter base comprising two front panels hingedly connected together for forward swinging movement into face-to-face, collapsed positions, an upstanding, independently collapsible tubular rear portion on the free end of each panel, said portions being adapted to converge forwardly in counter base, set up p sitions, each tubular rear portion having an outer side panel hinged to its respective front panel, an inner side panel, parallel to the outer side panel, and an end wall hingedly joining together the said side panels, the forward end of the inner side panel having a hinged flap connected to the inner face of the front panel, opposed, horizontally aligned slots formed in the forward portions of the inner side panels, and opposed holes formed in the rear portions of the inner side panels on substantially the same level as the slots, a detachable shelf unit extending between the spaced tubular rear portions and comprising a board having forwardly converging side edges that abut against the interior faces of the inner side-panels, and laterally extending ears projecting from the forward portions of the side edges of the board and slidably engageable in the slots, said board having a support rod afiixed to the rear portion thereof, said rod having its opposed ends projecting beyond the sides of the board and receivable in the respective holes in the inner side panels, and means detachably securing the rods ends to the respective side panels.

2. A portable, collapsible counter base set forth in claim 1 wherein each hole has a larger vertical dimension than the rod end, and an intermediate portion of said rod end has a downwardly facing notch formed therein for engagement with the marginal lower edge of the inner side panel formed by the hole.

3. A portable, collapsible counter base set forth in claim 1 wherein the means hingedly connecting the front panels are inturned, connected flaps, said flaps having aligned notches formed therein for slidably receiving the forward central edge portion of the board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,462 9/1956 McDonald -a 3 l2140.2 2,771,334 11/1956 Wahlbom 312-1402 2,805,909 9/1957 Derman 312-259 3,168,347 2/1965 Lyles 297442 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

